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Trapper Creek, Alaska: Mysterious Tropical Foliage: Devils Club
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early summer, this almost tropical-looking plant has green
foliage. By August, it's topped with red berries. What is
it? For anyone who has attempted to hike in the Alaskan
wilderness, the name should have a dismal familiarity: Devil's
Club. Devil's Club is a bane to hikers, who find themselves
grabbing at the plant as they scramble up the slopes, only
to come away with a handful of thorns. The floral equivalent
of the porcupine, Devil's Club can grow up to 8 feet tall,
and in summer, its broad leaves fan outward with deceptive
beauty. In winter, after the leaves fall off, all that's
left is a thick, devilishly-thorned "club." |
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